Highlights - Tuesday 4th April
A seemingly poor day was rescued by the efforts of the ringing team who caught 109 new birds including the first Ortolan Bunting and Reed Warbler of the spring.
Grounded Migrants: A slightly odd day with most of the headland all but devoid of migrants, the only exception being the central valley and adjacent hillsides where a steady stream of migrants kept the ringing team busy and birds were visibly passing north at Beehive Pass and Windy Gap. Numbers to follow.
Visible Passage: Limited - just 6 flava flew north, a few parties of Linnets appeared to be migrants and 8 Ortolan Bunting (in addition to the one ringed) dropped in briefly at Paliros early afternoon.
Raptors: an Osprey stole the show as it headed north soon after 08.00; there was also a single Kestrel and a Buzzard that behaved more like a migrant than one of the local birds.
Bird Ringing: 109 new birds - breakdown to follow - Subalpine (44) and Nightingale (15) dominated.
Weather: NE7-8 overnight, dropping by first light and moving to E5-6 in afternoon.
Bright but hazy, visibility fair.
The first Ortolan Bunting of the year
Black-eared Wheatear at Marmari
The local Red-rumpled Swallows have returned to Marmari
Ortolan Bunting at Paliros
Hi Tim
ReplyDeleteThanks for the report. We found some tortoise today, one at 1180 meters elevation